The Arabic Etihad Airways continues to try to take every means, in Europe by foot. With great drumbeats she put on the Thursday before a newly formed composite called “Etihad Airways Partners”, in which they besides the Swiss Darwin Airline (since the end of 2013 known as Etihad Regional) other “like-minded airlines” such as Air Berlin, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles and India’s Jet Airways flocking around.
If this keeps Airlines Etihad different minority stakes. Alitalia is not one of the party, because the official authorization for 49 percent participation by the Gulf airline is still pending. With “Etihad Airways Partners” – according to the airline no alliance – to the customers according to press release advantages are provided by the performance of the participating airlines improved and the track listing is extended
added value not visible
But there is more behind the creation of “Etihad Airways Partners»: This is an attempt by the Gulf airline to gain more power in Europe, says Patrick Huber, editor in chief of the aviation magazine “Cockpit”. For several years, namely harry airlines from the Gulf States, the European Aviation by, among others, at European airlines such as Air Berlin, Air Serbia or Alitalia has minority interests purchases. Almost a year ago Etihad has joined the Ticino Darwin Airline and supplies at the Swiss sky a fight with the Swiss.
“I wonder if the bill comes up with the new composite, however, is questionable,” says Huber. “There is no added value visible, because with a few small, ailing airlines can not create a well-functioning route network.” For example, if a connection from Belgrade via Abu Dhabi would be offered to the Seychelles, which could be attractive to some travelers from Serbia – but the passenger volume is too small to be competitive.
A problem for smaller airlines
why is “Etihad Airways Partners» no competition for the classic airline alliances Star Alliance, Oneworld and Skyteam, so Huber. This would have several strong Airlines, which are well connected with each other. In “Etihad Airways Partners” it is not enough that as a central composite only airline Etihad Airways have weight in civil aviation. “It would have more important airlines participate – but who does that”
Etihad’s commitment to Europe is less problematic according to Huber for the aviation alliances rather than for smaller airlines. So Etihad Regional on a running new European routes in operation, some of which are already operated by other airlines – for example Zurich-Dresden, which was successfully used in the meantime by the Bodensee airline Intersky. This was in the episode on the route. “However, If the success of on a route, they will tilt Etihad Regional probably quickly from the program,” says Huber.
Is Etihad Regional enough Swiss?
The business practices of Etihad Airways is watched not stand in Europe: The European Commission takes the interests of Etihad Air Berlin and Alitalia under the microscope. And the German Federal Aviation Authority (LBA) has decided this week that Etihad loses its flying rights in Germany and will be without 34 flights. . Affected are code-share flights with Air Berlin, is involved in the Etihad to 29.2 percent
In Switzerland, something is happening: The FOCA leads to the end of October a so-called ownership-and-control Testing by. It is investigated, whom Darwin in the future actually belongs and who has control of the airline. Currently, the Arab Carrier has namely still no shares in Darwin Airline, but are provided 33.3 percent. If the FOCA concludes that Darwin can not be called a Swiss airline because of the strong Arab influence, they could, or at worst lose landing rights, the Swiss Operating Permit.
Germany took it first not as accurate
Whether the case Air Berlin can serve as a model for Switzerland, commented FOCA spokesman Urs Egger Holder so that the situation in Germany is not comparable with the local. “The country has a different air transport agreement with the United Arab Emirates as the Switzerland.” This agreement was apparently not strictly observed: So cleared the German Federal Aviation Authority this summer, to have assigned the right to fly on Etihad partly wrong. In Switzerland it is loud Holder Egger however not the case. “We have the allocation of traffic rights intense clarified and kept us in the allocation of the existing agreements.”
an intermediate state of the investigation Holderegger can give any information. Whether the foundation of the composite «Etihad Airways Partners” has an influence on the review, can not currently be assessed. (Tagesanzeiger.ch/Newsnet)
(Created: 10/10/2014, 20:22 clock)
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